Review: “Echoes of History” by Unpunished

“We wanted this record to reflect that emotional descent—melodic yet aggressive, technical yet raw. It’s a last cry for help from someone losing the battle against his demons” ~ Jean-Christophe Magnan, vocals

Produced, mixed and mastered in house by drummer Justin Lefebvre, the sophomore record from Quebec City natives Unpunished is the result of two years of crafting in the rehearsal space in an attempt to resist formulaic song writing and build nuance. Joining Lefebvre are guitarists Dean Pavicic and Pierre-Luc Defoy alongside bassist Alex Brochu-Meloche and vocalist Jean-Christophe Magnan, the five piece seeking an evolution in sound that blends melodic intensity with brutal honesty.

Echoes of the finest of the 2003 era first wave of American Metalcore inspired by the Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal scene run through the veins of the music of Unpunished like the red blood cells providing oxygen to the brain. Bands like As I Lay Dying, It Dies Today and Unearth spring to mind as the glorious riffs of opening cut “As Water Fills My Lungs” soar, the melodic leads with just that pinch of melancholia alongside a powerful layered vocal chorus that combines three voices. Magnan’s main vocal is harsher than most, approaching Death Metal growls and when the breakdown hits, the nostalgia of the cut shines like gold left in the sun of the Sahara. A brutal vocal tirade at the start of “Plague of Our Race” is like the smell of napalm in the morning as the guitars shine once more, Lefebvre very much nailing the mix as well as his own drum parts, which are both innovative and playful. What works incredibly well here is that the band don’t repeat the layered chorus of the opening track, instead choosing to sail into the sunset in the direction of bands like August Burns Red and the intricate solo in the final third is the absolute Chef’s kiss. A “Bleigh!” moment? Why not!

The lyrical reference to the hour glass used in the cover art is found in “Shattered in Disarray“, a classy cut of scintillating lead guitars and powerful gruff unclean vocals that is so polished you’d think it had a big name producer like Jason Suecof attached to it, such is the quality. There are even instrumental moments in this one where if you didn’t know better you’d think it might be the work of Trivium and with vocalist Jean-Christophe Magnan harnessing his inner mid career Randy Blythe, it really doesn’t get much better than this. Title track “Echoes of History” very much echoes those sentiments it soars like an Vulture on the thermals before breaking into blast beats and harsh vocals, once again making great use of layering to put a cleaner voice underneath. Double kicks during the final chorus sound like jackhammers to the skull before tasteful piece of soloing that helps fade to black. A guest vocal appearance from Alex Leblanc formerly of Fracturus, Neuraxis and Mass Murder Messiah on “Burn the Traitors” is the metaphorical icing on the cake as he goes toe to toe with Magnan on a cut that sounds like it could have been a demo from the The Black Dahlia Murder circa 2007. A face melting solo and galloping drums are vital components in a barnstormer of a song that is arguably vocally the most harsh, the sound of those left to burn in the final moments a taste of what it’s like to get as Marsellus Wallace put it in Pulp Fiction, Medieval [8/10]

Track Listing

1. As Water Fills My Lungs
2. Plague of Our Race
3. Shattered in Disarray
4. Echoes of History
5. Burn the Traitors (ft. Alex Leblanc)

“Echoes of History” by Unpunished is out 5th September 2025